Roger John Wehrell

Roger was born on September 21, 1946, in Hackansack, New Jersey, the son of Robert Lawrence Wehrell, a distinguished WWII Air Force radioman and Phyllis Isabel Butler, an Australian war bride. He attended the University of California at Davis, and spent a year abroad at the University of Edinburgh before graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy in 1968. After graduation, he and his new wife, Sue, joined the U.S. Peace Corps and taught secondary school in Ethiopia. In the summer of 1969, they worked for the World Health Organization, vaccinating people against smallpox and tuberculosis.  

In 1970, Roger and Sue immigrated to Canada for graduate studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton (M.A. Philosophy). Roger became a Canadian citizen in 1976. He continued to lecture and/or collect degrees as he moved east across Canada: University of Ottawa (PhD philosophy), McGill University (M.B.A. Finance and International Business), and the University of New Brunswick at Saint John. 

The last 30 years of his academic career were spent at the three great small Maritime universities. At Mount Allison University Roger was a Commerce Professor and sometime head of the Commerce department. He thoroughly enjoyed being the lead negotiator for the faculty in the first ever strike in Mt. A’s history. Before he left Mt. A, he received the Student Administrative Council first Annual Teaching Excellence Award (for the Faculty of Social Sciences). Taking on a different role, Roger was appointed Director of Extension at Saint Francis Xavier University, where he developed two courses for the Coady International Institute and worked with the St. F.X. Enterprise Development Centre to promote the creation of cooperatives and other community-based business models.  At Acadia University, Roger was the head of the Fred C. Manning School of Business, and a professor in the Commerce department.

In retirement, Roger continued to be active cross-country skiing, hiking, sea kayaking, folk dancing, and taking long walks with Jamie, the dog. He devoted long hours to researching his family genealogy until dementia erased his memory and robbed him of his enjoyment of life. He died February 13, 2026.

Roger is survived by his wife of 57 years Susan; daughter Sierra in Greenwich, N.S.; son Roth (Norma Serra Sogas), and granddaughter Elena in Victoria, B.C.; brother Robert (Linda) in Oak Harbor, Washington; sister Lynnette Dihle (Nils) in Juneau, Alaska; sister-in-law Judi Mordoff (Ken), San Ramon, California; many nieces and nephews.

In keeping with Roger’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge, his brain has been donated to the Maritime Brain Tissue Bank so that others may continue to learn from him.

Many thanks to the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia for information and much appreciated support.

Cremation has taken place. There will be a family gathering to celebrate Roger’s life when the weather warms up. Donations in Roger’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.